A mobile court sentenced four touts to 10 days in prison each following a drive by the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and local police at Pabna Mental Hospital on Sunday morning.
The convicts were identified as Idris Ali (25), Zakir Hossain (47), Masud Rana (45) and Sujan Ali (26), all residents of Pabna Sadar Upazila.
A. B. M. Lutful Kabir the Deputy Director of the NSI’s Pabna office stated that an NSI team supported by police personnel conducted the raid based on specific intelligence. The four individuals were caught while harassing incoming patients, extorting money from them and attempting to illegally divert them to private clinics for commission.
Following their detention, the suspects were produced before a mobile court led by S. M. Fuad the Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate of Pabna Sadar Upazila. Upon examining the evidence, the magistrate handed down 10-day jail sentences to each of the four convicts.
Authorities reiterated that security supervision around public healthcare facilities in Pabna will be tightened to protect visiting patients from harassment and extortion by unauthorized middlemen.
